Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz was welcomed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after arriving in Turkey’s capital Ankara on Monday.

As part of king Salman’s official visit to the country, regional and international issues are expected to be discussed in meetings between Turkish and Saudi officials. ... During his visit, will later be attending the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) that will be taking place in Istanbul on April 14 and 15.

Saudi Arabia and Jordan yesterday agreed to establish a joint investment fund during the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Jordan. Prince Mohammed who is also the Saudi Second Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence met King Abdullah II and in a joint statement that was made at the end of the visit, the two sides stressed “the importance of strengthening the existing cooperation in the fields of security and fighting terrorism and extremism”. They also stressed the “importance of participating in existing international efforts to fight terrorism made by the international coalition and the military coalition”.

The Saudi King visits two heavy weight Middle East countries over the last days while his son visits two minor ones. Something is up here. Will there be a new Saudi organized "initiative" in Syria? What else could be the purpose of such diplomatic bustle?

On a side note:

This is the picture the Turkish President Erdogan arranged when the German chancellor Merkel visited him. Nostalgic Ottoman opulence for the frugal daughter of a Lutheran pastor.

Now compare that to the official picture with the pompous, ultra rich Saudi King.

Here Erdogan chose a rather sparse environment with a huge portrait of the secular founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Erdogan's declared political aim is to move away from secular Atatürk Turkey to return to Islamic Ottoman glory. So why does he emphasize Atatürk when the Saudi King visits him?

The White House says Obama will head to Saudi Arabia on April 21 for a summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Obama last year hosted leaders from the group of Gulf nations. They’ll discuss the fight against Daesh and other Mideast security concerns.

In preparation for Obama's arrival in Riyadh the U.S. has again pulled out the "28 pages" threat. These still classified parts of the 9/11 investigation describe Saudi interaction with the terrorists. Whenever the White House wants something important from the Saudis it launches a campaign to declassify the 9/11 findings which would turn Saudi Arabia into a public enemy. This comes on top of the recent interview Obama gave to the Atlantic in which he questioned the U.S. alliance with Saudi Arabia. The politicized Fitch rating agency just lowered Saudi credit worthiness. What does Obama want the Saudis to do?

My hunch is that the Saudis are sabotaging, via their proxy terrorist forces in Syria, the new found U.S.-Russian cooperation against al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Just consider how the U.S. is now practically inviting the Russians and the Syrian army to be more aggressive in Syria. From yesterday's State Department press briefing:

QUESTION: You’re not opposed to the Syrian army going after and – going after Aleppo and taking the – or at least the parts of it that are held by al-Nusrah. That’s okay with you. But if they start going after groups that you guys think are part of – or say are part of the cessation of hostilities, then it – only then it’s bad. Is that correct?

MR TONER: Yes.

Last week Saudi sponsored groups in Syria cooperated with Nusra in their attack on the government held Tal al-Eis and thereby broke the ceasefire. The U.S. just gave its okay for Russia and Syria to counter that move with a bigger "anti-Nusra" campaign.

The Saudi visiting flurry to arrange its regional chess pieces before Obama arrives must be seen in that context.

how about a euro split with turkey over syria? at this point turkey and saudi arabia look like 2 peas in a pod..

pictures of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk are everywhere in turkey.. it reminded me of pictures of the queen on so many public places growing up in canada in the 50/60's...

when are any world leaders going to address the saudi arabia export of wahabbism? until that happens, we can expect more suicide bombers and adherents to this sick religious cult lining up to join isis..

Quite clearly we have a Saudi Salman bin Abdulaziz/ Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu/ Turk Recep Erdogan Axis which lusts to take over the entire Middle East. The U.S. and E.U. will apparently be completely ruined in this process, but that won't matter if the oligarchs make a clean escape.

If push comes to shove how much further is this likely to escalate? Will the US actually declassify those 28 pages? Will the Saudis actually kill the petro-dollar and rely on its new found allies for security? I think these are red lines that both parties would shudder to cross.

The Saudis dont have much choice here. Comply the must, albeit with some foot dragging.

"Around 400 soldiers from the Minnesota Army National Guard's Mankato-based 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment will deploy for a 9-month peacekeeping mission to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt to support the Multi-National Force and Observers, according to a news release."

USA policy of 'leading from behind' gives the Saudis and Turks the initiative, doesn't it?

USA acts aloof, arranges peace talks, speaks of "our values" while at the same time stresses the willingness to defend our "interests in the region" (support for our fundamentalist, authoritarian allies).

Doublethink is the act of simultaneously accepting two mutually contradictory beliefs as correct, often in distinct social contexts. Doublethink is related to, but differs from, hypocrisy and neutrality. Somewhat related but almost the opposite is cognitive dissonance, where contradictory beliefs cause conflict in one's mind. Doublethink is notable due to a lack of cognitive dissonance — thus the person is completely unaware of any conflict or contradiction.

b
just saw on Belgian television images of the visit of Frau Merkel to sultan Erdogan in relation to current issues. When M enters the building and is greeted by E you can see the Ataturk setting in the background. Next images are taken before they go sit down in the opulent corner. I get the feeling that the visitors choose the settings for the photoshoot to further their own agenda's
(photographed the 2 settings with Frau M and sultan E from the screen)

the Picture paint an interesting story "we wheel out Ataturk to show the PKK that Turkey is indivisable and we will use the salafist goons to give said PKK scumm a good whack on the snout" Can't figure out the ottoman one. anybody else?

Wow. What a thoroughly enthusiastic and endorsement statement by Mr Toner. I can see how B can read so much into that one word statement of "yes" .

Do you mean that a minion of the evil US Empire is being asked if it's alright for anyone state to attack Al Qaeda, I expect a far more comprehensive support for those attacks than a simple "yes". That's just pure cover. As unenthusiastic and unsupportive as it gets, while under PR cover.

And if Russia is in agreement with the evil US Empire re-Syria, it is a cowardly surrender to the pressure of the break up of Syria.

Why does b frequently ignore more serious news of US terrorist troops invading Syria and even Iraq, but he focuses on a pointless one word statement by a US minion.

Chairs were extensively commented in Turkish press which was less muzzled at the time. Ottomans from the age of greatness would rather sit on a carpet and Turkey did not have domestic tradition of chair making. These chairs were made in Paris according to Parisian imagination as what would suit a Sultan. Orient importing Orientalism. However, sultans found those chairs "too much" and they did not experienced much of use until they were restored for Erdogan.

Ataturk picture would perhaps be more suitable for Merkel. When he was still Enver Pasha, Ataturk worked very closely with the General Staff of the military of the German Empire.

My hunch is that the Saudis are sabotaging, via their proxy terrorist forces in Syria, the new found U.S.-Russian cooperation against al-Qaeda and the Islamic State

well, if, as you've recently blogged, uncle sam is indeed shipping thousands of tons of ordnance to the 'opposition' as well as a new consignment of stinger missiles, i guess my hunch would be that the Americans are decidedly encouraging the Saudis & co. in that sabotage.

re the chairs and settings: he used the opulence on the frugal pastors daughter to impress and throw her off balance(don't think it would work but nice try) but he knew he couldn't pull that kind of crap with the king who is supposedly an austere wahhabist.

the pic of attaturk? not sure, did he have it hung there for the event or is it always in that room? if it was stuck there for the event i would call it a message to the king that turkey will not be subservient. my best guess anyway.

Erdogan uses of an Ataturk gigantic picture is provocative and insulting to the King. Ataturk has fought conservative Islam, removed the use of the Arabic letters and projected Turkey as a secular republic.
It is possible that Erdogan wanted to pass a message to the Turks that Saudi Arabia may be an ally but that Turkey will not bow to its religious influence toward a strict Islam.
Let us not forget that Saudi Arabia and Turkish are competing for the leadership of the Sunnis in the region. Turkey supports the Moslem Brotherhood that they consider as moderates while Saudi Arabia fought the Moslem Brotherhood and supports the Salafis, a stricter version of Islam

ot in response to my comment about "when is someone going to address this sick cult wahabbism?" i read today someone articulating this exactly as it relates to yemen.. saudi arabia foreign policy seems based almost solely on the export of wahabbism, even if it means they have to murder, maim, imprison, torture or starve those who don't abide by their sick cult ideology..

@13 virgile.. it is all about optics.. what erdogan does speaks much louder.. the pic is for the public to consume thinking what a great statesman he is in the tradition of ataturk.. the truth is exactly the opposite.. the pics are all over turkey, so i suspect it was in the room already and not a complete staged picture taking event.. he is a pivotal figure who looms over 'modern' turkey.. erdogan seems intent on stoning it back to the dark ages..

Erdogan meets Merkel in a lavishly decorated setting to demonstrate Turkey having the upper hand over Europe in wealth and resources, especially energy resources.

On the other hand, he meets King Salman at the airport in Ankara in a more austere environment to emphasise Turkish strength, discipline and restraint. There is no point competing with the Saudis in empty wealth and lazy opulence. The portrait of Kemal Ataturk suggests inner steel and continuity in strength (because Ataturk had originally been a military man) that Erdogan imagines himself to have and to be the heir to.

The real target of these public displays by Erdogan is the Turkish viewing public.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. According to a February report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injuring 1.9 million others, and displacing nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

The picture that perfectly describes the US' 'accomplishments' during the reign of Barack the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Obama.

I agree that it is for local consumption. It is well known that the average Turk despises the Arabs. Erdogan had the picture of Ataturk dominating King Salman to dispel any idea that he is bowing in front of an Arab. The Saudis are stupid enough not to see the symbolic of that set up.

It's a bitter five years that have been endured by the Syrian people as a whole. Those who are either pro-state or in opposition have experienced this war. These two parties are the only ones who love and work for the homeland, of course according to the vision of each party in regards to the country and the leadership of the country.

After five years of war in Syria, the Syrians have discovered that: (these are only a few examples from a more extensive list):

- Most of the factions that claim to be opposition are either takfiri, belonging to the key founders of the old or new colonial powers such as "ISIS" and "Al-Nusra", or are affiliated with regional countries that support them both financially and logistically.

- Most of the leaders of the opposition belong to that generation of officials who were involved in the looting of the bounties of this country, and all of them are known.

- As a result, the so-called "revolution" was a disaster for all the Syrian people from both parties, especially for the popular environment, but not some participants of wars and crises.

- As a result, the resistance to the international conspiracy against Syria is greater. Despite all that has happened, there is still a homeland, infrastructure can be rebuilt, and the souls have learned that co-existence is the only correct option, which is better than fighting and permanent conflict.

- A real friend is one who struggled and made sacrifices to keep Syria independent. The Syrian people will never forget their true friends from Russia, Hezbollah, Iran, and China.

- Policy plays a key role, not religion or caste or creed or race. All of these narrow identities are used by our enemies to tear countries apart.

- The Syrian state is a state for all people and the Syrian leadership is working in favor of Syria and for the interests of Syria and its people.

- The Russian state is a global state that holds human values close and works for them, (of course in addition to its interests), and stood by the Syrian people at a very critical point. We have to remember that Syria, without Russian intervention, could have become a failed state like Libya and Somalia. The Syrians will also never forget that the US and its allies, especially Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey are the main catalysts for everything bad that happened in Syria.

Erdogan's picture with big Ataturk picture is for local audience, starting with Turkish Military, imo. Tyrant telling the Army, I have respect for the founder of modern Turkish republic, I do accept him as the founder and shove it to Salman (Sonni world) face when it's needed. He needs Military for any Syrian incursion.

With Merkel, having no German picture would be unacceptable diplomatically. Some inquiring heads guess Merkel has been hijacked by Turkish intelligence with her bedding a young TurkishGerman thus Merkel's super tolerance against Erdogan over the last 3-4 months. This is besides typical refugee talks/negotiations.

Regardless of how weakened Turkish Military compared to pre-Islamist AKP days, they are still the most formidable force that would have to cut his one way ticket to hell, push comes to shove..

My guess is with recent so called ISIS false flag 'accidental' bombings increasing in a border town (Kilis) in recent days (most likely a covert ops by Turkish intelligence head Fidan under covert orders from Erdogan), Erdogan needs full reason to move inside Syria under Sunni Army forces, hence all this Salman manoeuvring.

Erdogan is very wary of his army. I doubt it will ever give them another role than fighting the Kurds. He knows that if ever they get power they may overthrow him. The army is very much influenced by Gulen and Ataturk. They do not approve the islamisation of Turkey and they have tried several times to provoke an ISIS confrontation to oblige Erdogan to allow them to intervene. He has refused.
He prefers to use proxy ( prostitute) fighters paid with Saudi money, but this is not working..

@20 curious.. would be nice, but i doubt it..too much murder/mayhem/pillage to be had in wahabbist/isis continuation.. keeping these puppets in power keeps the madness going and we know who that serves..

@22 jfl.. whackjob usa has already dismissed the syrian elections, before they started... dontcha know you can't have free elections when a 'regime' is running things? pay more attention to the talking heads in the msm, lol..

@23 yeah right.. erdogan had a few isis flags hanging around, but didn't think that would go over too well..

@24 truist.. i agree with your last paragraph and am concerned about when that shoe drops..

@25 virgile.. that is true too... who knows how this is going to play out, but i am sure it's the biggest priority of erdo the madman at present and for the foreseeable future...

— the 28 pages kerfuffle. The 28 pp. were known to be redacted and to mention KSA right when the report appeared - discussed in ‘conspiracy’ circles. - see b as well. The blame it on the Saudis has been, always, a ‘progressive’, Democrat, etc. meme. The story is Afgh. and Iraq were NOT to blame, Bush got it wrong (!!) the culprits are — elsewhere! (Irrelevant obsfucatory, storm-in-a teacup, imho.)

— negative coverage, and certainly public negative sentiment, re. human rights in KSA (beheadings, homosexuality, etc.) See e.g. when a Saud was nominated to the Human rights commission.

— a growing judgment / perception that KSA promotes and funds wahabism / salafism and this is linked to ‘islamic terrorists’ (ISIS.)

The Saudis and other Gulf Arabs have funnelled money, and large numbers of imams and teachers, into the country. In the 1990s, the Saudis heavily funded Wahhabist madrassas, seminaries that teach the fundamentalist version of Islam favoured by the Saudi ruling family. Obama, 2013. Quote uncertain.

Nevertheless there are many reports, think-tanks etc. including from the EU that use such language.

2016. Fitch, Moody’s, S & P, have downgraded KSA. (Due to low oil prices.) As these ratings are not solid financial indicators but politically motivated, imho, it says a lot. Morevoer several cooperation thingies between the W/KSA have broken down.

KSA, the Gulfies, did not expect Russian intervention in Syria and were already in a rabid fury about bringing Iran in from the cold. KSA thus ‘branched out’ in several directions (Yemen, selling off oil ‘funds’, ‘modernising’ once again, etc. etc.)

Obama displays vestiges of his roots (not personal but Dem party) late in the day. It is just a switcheroo between the two parties.

Gulen cult had been infiltrating into the Army for a long time (some say 30+yrs), but regardless of some ke Gulen cult members in the Army, they have made themselves known by faux-forged the Sledgehammer, Erghenekon et el trials.. Yes, Gulen members have been pushing the Army into possible coup..

Hence, my guess, the Gulen cult member ranking officers days are numbered as well most likely before Erdogan.

I recently chatted with a Turkish army pilot operating in Turkey and it was clear from the conversation that the Islamist trend of the AKP was not popular among the army and that Gulen's ideology was regarded as more balanced when it comes to the role of Islam in the Turkish society. I am not sure that his opinion is shared by the upper commandment of the army, but he was not secret about his opinion, which made me induce that it was common among his peers.

Erdogan has cracked down on Gulenist in most of the areas of the Turkish establishment but for a few years he has been much more cautious on cracking down on the army as with the situation in the region, he needs it on his side.
He had directed the army to fight the Kurds instead of ISIS. A victory over the Kurds won't be of great significance to boost the army and give them disruptive ideas but a fight and victory of the army over ISIS would give the military a dangerous boost.
The Russians and the Syrians have tried to push Erdogan to deploy the army in Syria but he did not fall into the trap.
Now Erdogan is facing a dilemma: Either he allows the Kurds to win over ISIS and occupy the land on the border or send the army to confront ISIS and risk having the army becoming politically involved in the peace talk on Syria. In addition a war against ISIS will increase the terrorist acts within the country and jeopardize the economical development.
The Syrian intelligence, very active in Turkey, is probably throwing oil on the fire by encouraging terrorist acts inside Turkey.
A terrorist attack in Antalya will be devastating for the Turkish tourism ahead of the season and will oblige Erdogan to escalate the war against ISIS, thus creating a new situation where his position may be threatened by a military coup.

All good relevant points yet I would disagree on Gulen influence would be persistent on the Army cause the deep state powers know well Gulen has been a major CIA operative and his forces would weaken Ataturk secular principles should they get any sort of power after Erdogan goes down.

US President Barack Obama will decide whether to declassify 28 pages of sealed documents — which some suspect show a Saudi connection to the 9/11 attacks — within 60 days, according to a former senator who co-chaired the 2002 joint congressional inquiry into the attacks.

Will he do it?

“As the former Ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee and top the House Democrat on the Joint Congressional investigation looking into the 9/11 attacks, I agree with former Senator Bob Graham that these documents should be declassified and made public, and that the Bush Administration’s refusal to do so was a mistake,” Pelosi said in a written statement. “I have always advocated for providing as much transparency as possible to the American people consistent with protecting our national security.”

I doubt it, but it looks like the lame duck's been thrown under the bus - blamed for not doing it - already, by the usual demoblican scum.

I eventually came to the conclusion that 9/11 was an 'al CIAduh-type' job run by Israeli pros.

Whatever, b's certainly right that they're using this to beat the Saudis with ... 2 more long months, then the long hot summer.

what saudi arabia is doing in yemen is beyond disgusting.. it is a crazy sick cult country that has a lot of money and has been given the green light to continue with it's religious cleansing by the usa/west..

if religious cleansing of anyone who doesn't adhere to the fanatical ideology of wahabbism is going to be allowed to continue, we can blame a number of leaders, not just the military complex that has no compunction towards the murder of innocent people who happen to hold to a different ideology then the fucked up wahabbi cult ideology..

The CIA Plan B, which is just an intensified plan A, is going to be thrust into murderous action in Syria.

Thanks so much for the ceasefire that b said was a victory for the Russians. Looks like it always was, that the ceasefire was just a chance to re-launch, rearm, supply more sophisticated weapons and organise better in support the evil US empires proxy terrorists.

Given that the CIA are now preparing to give vaxtly more weapons to ISIS and Al Qaeda in Syria once the ceasefire fails, it seems obvious to me that the "deal" struck between the Saudis and Obama was more of the same: attack Syria, overthrow Assad, and if necessary shoot down Russian planes.

And people STILL think Obama is somehow "reluctant" to go to war with Syria. Ray McGovern in a recent piece claimed that Obama was "mousetrapped" into going to war with Syria by the CIA and Pentagon. This is ruminant evacuation. Obama goes along with all this crap not because he's been "tricked" but because he's been TOLD to do so by his masters in Chicago.

He's a 'believer', too. Insofar as a nihilist can 'believe' in anything. He believes that he and they will survive till payday. They got him young. His mom was the 20th Century equivalent of a temple prostitute. The 'real' father of her child was Uncle Sam himself.

The only apology the 'progressives' can come up with for his - and their - betrayal is some sort of 'conspiracy theory'. It's racist at heart ... poor black boy with no daddy grew up trusting mamma/massa, who tricked him. Twenty years' of schoolin' and they put him on the dayshift.

He could have said, "No thanks, I'm not up to it," when they offered him the job. But he didn't, did he. And he certainly wasn't up to it. He'll go down in history as the willing dupe of The Powers of Evil in the USA just before its collapse.

“On all of those, I think you’ll see progress has been made, there’s been much deeper cooperation between us and the GCC,” Malley told reporters on a conference call.

Sounds like more, and escalating, warfare to me. Same thing that's been going on since Barack The Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Obama took over in 2009, during Israel's 1st quadrennial celebratory massacre in Gaza in his honor.

The end goal of the U.S.-Central bankers has not changed but there seems to be a shift in tactics. While the CIA is giving their proxy forces one last go before accepting their defeat it is my belief that more substantial adversaries will be unleashed against Assad and Putin's Syria in the form of an invasion by the Gulf states and Turkey initiated most likely under a ruse de guerre-false flag operation to be blamed on the Syrian Arab Army. Plan A is-was the jihadist proxies, plan B is an all out war by the GCC on Syria. A dangerous escalation against Russia....you bet.